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OPPO K1 announced: The most affordable phone with an in-display fingerprint sensor?
- The OPPO K1 has been announced for the Chinese market.
- The new phone comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and costs ~$230.
- This makes the K1 one of the cheapest phones with an in-display scanner.
We’ve seen a steady stream of phones with in-display fingerprint sensors, but most of them have been expensive flagships rather than budget devices. Fortunately, the OPPO K1 has been announced by the Chinese brand, offering an in-display fingerprint sensor at a mid-range price.
The new phone seems to be a take on the OPPO F9, sharing a number of features. There’s a waterdrop notch, 25MP selfie camera, and that distinctive dual-camera housing. But you won’t find a rear fingerprint scanner here, as the company has opted for an in-display solution.
In-display scanners don’t play nicely with LCD screens, which has forced OPPO to swap out the F9’s 6.3-inch full HD+ LCD screen for a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen. So expect deeper blacks on the new handset.
Otherwise, the final difference is in the chipset, as the OPPO K1 features a Snapdragon 660 processor rather than the F9’s MediaTek Helio P60 SoC. The official website doesn’t seem to have the full spec sheet but, if this is indeed an OPPO F9 variant, we can expect a 16MP+2MP rear camera pairing, 3,500mAh battery, and microUSB connectivity.
The OPPO K1 starts at 1,599 yuan (~$231), which nets you 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s also a 6GB/64GB variant for 1,799 yuan (~$260). As you may have guessed, OPPO says this is a Chinese release only, but we’ll keep you updated if it comes to other markets.
Oppo’s phone is cheaper than the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus duo, which packed an in-display sensor for a starting price of ~$390. However, Meizu’s phones offer a top-end, Snapdragon 845 chipset, making it worth a look if you need flagship power in addition to an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Little-known Chinese brand Leagoo has also been touting its S10 as the cheapest phone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. There’s just one problem: The company hasn’t revealed the retail price yet. So for now, it looks like the OPPO K1 has bragging rights.
Would you buy a phone with an in-display scanner? Sound off in the comments.